Readtable function reads the return of CRSP data as cell array

I want to work with CRSP stock data in matlab but when I use the funtion readtable to import the data, which I have as a CSV file, I have some issues.

If you look at the picture you see that the function reads the returns of the file as a cell array but I want it as a numeric number just as the price or the shares outstanding.

Is there an easy way to convert it?

Thanks!

Answer 1

[Joe Vinciguerra]

This will convert that column to numbers (assuming all elements in that column can be converted to numbers)

(EDIT: sorry I haven't had my coffee yet. This is correct now...)

variableName.RET = str2double(variableName.RET(:));

[David Schaefer]

Thank you!